Conveyer type of pair or pack furnace



Jan. 2, 1934. T. J. COSTELLO CONVE YER TYPE OF PAIR OR PACK FURNACEFiled Feb. 25. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOiQ Jan. 2, 1934. COSTELLO1,941,599

CONVEYER TYPE OF PAIR OR PACK FURNACE Filed Feb. 25. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTO/R Jan. 2, 1934. J COSTELLO 1,941,599

CONVEYER TYPE OF PAIR OR PACK FURNACE Filed Feb. 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet3 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 2, 1934 PATENT OFFlCE CONVEYER TYPE OF PAIR ORPACK FURNACE Thomas J. Costello, Warren, Ohio Application February 25,1930 Serial No. 431,101

5 Claims.

My invention relates to the heating of metal I sections such as sheetbars, break downs, plates, packs or the like. It provides not onlyimproved apparatus for heating such pieces of metal, but furthermoreintroduces an improvement in the art of heating such metal sections. Inthe ensuing description the term bars is employed as illustrative of theinvention; but it is to be understood that the same is useful in thetreatment of various types of metal objects; and the term bars is to beunderstood as used in its generic sense as including any piece or packsof metal, such, for example, as above described, which it is desired toheat or heat treat.

My improved heating apparatus and improved method of heating metalobjects are well adapted to the treatment of sheet bars; and forpurposes of illustration 2, pair furnace, which is constructed inaccordance with principles of my invention, has been disclosed in theaccompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of the furnace;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the furnace, showingthe conveyers cooperating therewith;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the furnace, parts being shown in sectionon the line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of a detail of the conveyers;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of abearing for a reversingmechanism;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line VI-VI of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification forpacks.

Furnaces heretofore employed for heating metal bars have beenconstructed so that the bars are passed through the apparatus insubstantial contact one with another. In a typical pair furnace the barsare piled on edge with their flat faces substantially in contact. Inorder to advance the bars through the furnace, one or more additionalbars is added at the entrance end of the furnace, placed against therear of the series of bars and a pusher applied to move the entireseries. It will be noted that such a furnace has but little flexibilitysince the movement of the bars through the furnace depends upon theaddition of further material before the material being heated can beadvanced through the furnace. It may, under certain conditions, bedesirable to heat but a few bars. With a pair furnace of the typeheretofore employed, it is,

nevertheless, necessary to operate the furnace for the heating of acomplete series of bars; since none of the bars can be passed completelythrough the furnace until a complete series is in process or beingheated. (19

One object of my invention is to provide an improved process of heatingmetal sections, in which the bars are uniformly heated not only on theedges but on all portions.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved process forthe heating of metal objects, in which the objects are shifted duringtheir travel through the heating apparatus, so as to subject allportions to uniform heat treatment.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved heating apparatusinwhich the conveying means on which the articles are supported duringheating is principally within the fur. nace. 7

A further object of my invention is to provide heating apparatus whichis flexible in operation and does not depend upon additional materialbeing fed into the apparatus to advance material already placed thereinthrough the same.

A still further object of my invention is to provide improved heatingapparatus, in which the articles may be shifted during the course oftheir travel so that uniform treatment of all portions of the articlesresults.

Further objects of my invention will appear in the course of the ensuingdescription and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The furnace includes an elongated chamber '7 having an opening at thefront end for the admission of the metal bars which are to be heated.Heating means (not shown) of any suitable type are provided for raisingthe temperature within the chamber to the desired point. A conveyer 8 isarranged to transport barsfrom the bar yard or any other convenientpoint to the heating chamber. In the drawings the delivery end of theconveyer is illustrated as extending slightly within the chamber '7. Itwill be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that theconveyer may be located entirely outside of the furnace and dischargethe material carried thereby into the furnace through a suitable slot bymeans of skids, supports, or the like. It will be further apparent thatmeans other than the conveyer 8,

and such as frequently used in the art, may be the orbitally movingchain type. There is an upper run and a lower run of the conveyer 8;and, therefore, the opening for this conveyer is in two parts, a largeropening 9 and a smaller lower opening 10, the upper one being largeenough toadmit the bars or other metal objects to be heated, and thelower opening being large enough for the passage of the conveyer.

A furnace conveyer 11 is arranged to receive the bars from the deliveryend of the conveyer 8, and has its receiving end disposed beneath thedelivery end of the conveyer 8. One or more furnace conveyers may beemployed. In the embodiment shown, the conveyer 11 and a second furnace.conveyer l2 combine to transport the bars through the chamber 7. Itwill be noted that both the conveyer 11 and the conveyer 12 are entirelycontained within the chamber 7.

The conveyers 8, 11 and 12 may, if desired, be all of the same type. Asis shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the conveyer 11 includes a pair of conveyerchains, each link of. which provided with a device in the form of arecess or pocket for spacthe, bars or rnetalsections. In theembodisalesmen herein, this device takes the form of an arm 13 having a'substantially flat side 14, a narrow. end 15, and a cut awayv or curvedside 1 6 It will" be apparent, however, that different foirmsfofrecesses or pockets may be provided by a suitable formation ef-thelinks. themselves, actual practice, the characteristics" of the pockets,i."e.,whether they are formed entirely by upwardly projecting fingers,entirely by suitable recesses or depressions in the links in theconveyer, or partly'by such depressions or recesses and'partly by meansof fingers, will be determined by. the characteristics of the materialbeing heated. With comparatively narrow sheet bars, it will be obviousthat less supporting area is required. than with largermaterial such asafforded by packs, for example. The construction herein described willtherefore be considered merely as illustrative of one embodiment of theinvention.

Sprockets 18 are provided at each end of each conveyer 8,, l1 and 12,the conveyer chains being direct about the sprockets l8. At least one.of the sprockets engaging each chain is driven so as to move thematerial carried bythe conveyer intofor through the furnace.

' It will be noted from Fig. 4 that the cut away or curved sides 16 ofthe arms 13 permit arcuate movement of the edges of the bars or metalsecmosses each bar tilts about theend 12. of the next precedingarm 10.This brings about discharge of the bars or metal sections in reversedpcsiti'on. In order to facilitate such discharge of. the bars or metalsections, one or. more engaging, devices or stationary abutments 19 isprovided adjacent the delivery end. of each conveyer 8, Hand 12.Supports or hollow trunnions 20, on which these abutments are. mounted,extend through 'the 'sides'of the furnace; and are hollow.

so that cooling fluid maybe passed through the same. Means'are provided.for movingv the hollow supportsf2u bodily up and down so as to changethe'elevation of the. same.

Inthe embodiment illustratedfin the drawings and particularly in Figs.'5and. 6, a pair of. bearmg: members 22 and 23 are slidably disposedwithin a' frame 24 The bearing members 22 and 23 togetherprovideajournalforthe trunnion 20. An upper adjusting screw'26, and. a loweradjusting screw. 27 are passed through the frame 24 so tha'tthe journaljust referred'to may be raised and lowered. A cover plate 28 is providedto close the opening in the wall of the. furnace chamber 7 through whichthe trunnion 20 extends, this plate moving with the trunnion.

A turning mechanism is also provided for rotating the trunnions 20, sothat the angle at which the abutments 19 are disposed may be changed, asdesired, by the operator. In the embodiment disclosed herein, a worm 30is journalled in bearings 31 provided in the, upper portion of the frame24. A worm wheel 32, secured to the outer end of the trunnion 20, mesheswith the worm 30. A hand wheel 33 is provided for rotating the worm,thereby moving the trunnion 20, and accordingly the abutments 19 carriedthereby, through the desired arc. It will be noted that through theadjusting mechanism just disclosed, a difference in the time ofdischarge of the plates or sections from the conveyer 8, 11 or 12 as thecase may be, is made possible. The steeper the angle of the abutments19, the easier the bars will slide down the same; and the higher theelevation of the supports 20, the socner. will the abutments, 19',engage the harsh sec, lens to. dislodge them; fronfthearms The abutments1:9 'may. be substantially triangug lar mshspe; having'o'r'ie angle ofthe -triangle aid-i 1,00 jacent the inner edges of the sections or barsas. t e, sprocket wheels 18 cause the links to swing dpwnwar y The,abutments 19 are. disclosed herein as, being. flat plates turned upondeei THY may. 5 1 everfb e of substantial breadth sea to a 0rd a largerengaging surface'fer the metal sections or bars as they slide off theconveyer: 'll @112."

In as; event, they. should not be' centinueusf but shouldpermit passage.ofthe'devices 13 of 1 they chain's ofthef conveyer; M

Tliisfurnacefconveyer lljis, sloped upwann so that" its discharge end/issubsta anyone level with the discharge e'nd'of the coriveyerB. TheSecond furnace conveyer 1 2, is. shown arranged M 5 substantiallyhorizontally, with; its receivingTend arranged in positionreceivefinetal sections from the first of the two coiiveye'rsi Each cfthe furnace convc ers. 11 and 12, is shown as. being fsubsiaj ifii i y,the a e c ei' as r e o" veyer f'The spacingdevice'speednot: have theprecisev form which the; arms l f t e' cenyeyer 1'1 areshown to have, Asillustratedinv Fig. 4, thelinks of the chains of the furnacecti f veyer.12, may carry arms 35 of symmetrical form instad'ofthe type (if arms at13 on ooh; Veyer l vi 1 The furnace herein illustrated and described is.particularly adapted for" the amiss" of sheet bars, breakdowns and thelike. In many cases, 13g) howe r as. e m e. here using h se na'cefor theheating'fof packs," slightly dlficfeht operating conditicns'faredesired." 'In'such' case's, inz'order tof conserve spacewithin a furnaceand therebypermit'theuse "of a furhacehavilig'shorfi 1 35 er. ven-an"length, it' may be desirable to tain the packs on"edge'jin spacedrelation during afpr'eheatingope'ration, aaasupsequ nuy insut;stantially. fiat. position during" the, fin'al heating operation. Afurnace. of th generalchafacter. 14p herein disclosed enables such anoperation to he advantageously obtained, andf'I have; shown in Fig. 7,one arrangement of conveyer's for; carrying out the desired heattreating operatiensl such case, the conveyer 1 1 will maintain thedesiiedi545 edgewise spaced relationship of the. packs, whiletheconveyer l2 will'be of a construction in whieh the fingers, 35 areomitted so as. to receive, support the packs in substantially fiat. ps1tienl' While be n intain d 'ei l ma tress;

the travel of the conveyer, they will be subjected to the final heatingoperation.

It will be apparent that the relative lengths and speed of travel of theconveyers may be varied as desired to more effectively accomplish aheating of this character. With the example given, the conveyer 11 wouldpreferably be operated at a materially lower speed than that at whichthe conveyer 12 would be operated.

At a lower level than the discharge end of the second conveyer 12, andarranged in position to receive the metal sections as they slide fromthe abutments which cooperate with this conveyer is a receiving andholding frame 36. A pivotal support 3'7, in the form of a rocking barwhich extends through the sides of the chamber '7 and is supported inbearings 38 is provided for the receiving and holding frame 36. As isshown in Fig. 2, a conveyer 39 of suitable type passes beneath the frame36, the chains or other conveying means for carrying the sections orbars being slightly lower than the supporting surface of the frame 36 asthe same is arranged in its receiving position. The support 37 may,however, be rotated in its bearings 38 to deposit metal sections ontothe conveyer 39 by mechanism disposed outside of the chamber '7. Thisrotating mechanism comprises a lever arm 40, a motor 41 and a link 42connecting the motor and the lever arm. The motor, as shown in Fig. 3,consists of a cylinder and piston 43 and 44 having the piston rod 45connected to the link 42. The supply of actuating fluid to the cylinderof the motor 41 may be controlled by the operator to control movementsof the support 3'7. Under certain conditions of operation, it may bedesirable to eliminate the special discharge mechanism just describedand so construct the conveyer 12 as to enable it to effect a dischargedirectly from the furnace to suitable conveying means positionedexteriorly of the furnace. Such a situation is, for instance, present inthe construction shown in Fig. '7, where the packs do not require theoperation of the special mechanism including holding frame 36. In suchcase, the principal portion of the conveyer would always be maintainedwithin the heating chamber and might be entirely maintained within theheating chamber, depending upon the particular furnace structure, anddesired discharge operation.

A conveyer 46 is arranged, preferably under a portion of the millstanding, to receive metal sections or bars from the conveyer 39 totransport the same and deliver them adjacent the forming rolls 47, as isshown in Fig. 2.

The operation of my improved conveying mechanism and the heatingapparatus combined therewith provides for uniform and rapid heating ofthe metal bars or sections. These metal ob- .jects are loaded from thebar yard or other convenient point onto the conveyer 8 whichautomatically introduces the same through the opening 9 into the chamber'7. As the chains round the sprockets 18, the metal sections slide offthe devices 13' and are received by the first conveyer 11. During theirpassage through the chamber '7, the metal sections are heated to thedesired temperature. If, as shown in Fig. 2, there are two conveyers inthe chamber '7, the bars or metal sections may be reversed as they passfrom one conveyer to the other, so that the edges which were in contactwith the first conveyer 11 are now uppermost and fully exposed to theheat of the chamber 7, or, as set forth, they may be carried flatwise onthe conveyer 12. It is not necessary that two conveyers be provided inthe chamber '7, as for certain purposes the heating of the bars may becarried out on but a single conveyer. Whether one or two conveyers areprovided in the chamber '7, it will be noted that the metal sectionspass through at least part of the chamber '7 in spaced relation so thatthe heat of the furnace may have full effect upon all sides of thesesections. The use of two conveyers provides a refinement of the processwhich insures perfectly uniform heating of all sides and edges of themetal sections.

As the metal sections approach the end of the chamber '7 they are causedto slide down abutments 19 on to the receiving and holding frame 36. Theoperator who is watching the process controls the motor 41 and when thedesired number of bars or sections has accumulated on the frame 36, hecauses the support 37 to rotate so as to lower the sections on to theconveyer 39. In case the furnace is being operated as a pair furnace,this operation will be repeated each time a pair of bars has beenmatched by the support. The conveyer 39 delivers the bars in theirindividual or superposed relation to the conveyer 46 which carries themto a point adjacent the rolls 4'7. Here, another operator starts thebars through the forming rolls so that they may be rolled out into thedesired shape.

It will be noted that my improved process results in uniform heating ofthe bars as they pass through the furnace. It Will furthermore be notedthat my improved apparatus makes possible a greater flexibility in theoperation of the furnaces. Should there be a need for a small number ofbars, these may be run through the furnace and delivered to the formingrolls without necessitating the continuous feeding or delivering of morebars or sections to the furnace, so as to bring about the delivery ofthe few required bars from the delivery end of the furnace.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the presentinvention provides a furnace of such characteristics as to permit theindividual movement and rate of delivery of articles through the furnacewhile maintained in spaced rela tionship so as to facilitate the uniformheating thereof. The construction of the conveyers is such as to enablesuch articles to be placed between or in the successive devices 13 so asto completely charge the furnace, or between or in only certain of thedevices 13. This makes it possible for the operator at any time todetermine the exact amount of metal within the furnace, and to make thisamount correspond to the demands on the furnace or mill being suppliedthereby. Thus with the furnace only operating up to part of itscapacity, the complete time of heating of the articles may be maintainedthe same as with the furnace operating at full capacity without changingthe speed of the conveying means. For example, with the furnaceoperating at half of its normal capacity, articles would be placedbetween alternate devices 13 so that half the amount of metal would becontained within the furnace, while maintaining the time for heatingeach of the articles the same.

This condition is highly desirable not only from the standpoint offlexibility, but from the standpoint of the articles themselves. Withorq dinary pair furnaces, for example, there are frequently periods oftemporary shut-down during which all of the bars which are within thefurnace must be maintained at full temperature preparatory to asucceeding operation.

"tion, however, obviously requires an excessive furnace length in orderto accommodate the turn makes it possible to provide a furnace of Thissubjects a large number of bars to a scaking temperaturawhich may beobjectionable from the standpoint of their grain characteristics,particularly where the heating is at a temperature above the lowestthermo-critical temperature at which grain growth may be observed. Withthe present invention, in anticipation of a shut-down of this character,it is possible to completely discharge the furnace preparatory to theshut-down, and thereafter maintain only the furnace and the conveyers atthe required temperature condition preparatory to a succeeding feedingoperation.

The individual handling and conveying of the shapes or sections istherefore seen to be exceedingly important in that it effects a savingof fuel, insures uniformity of heating of the individual articles,decreases the number of articles which it is necessary to maintain atthe desired temperature, enables the articles to be passed through thefurnace without objectionable results as to grain characteristics, andhastens the heating period inasmuch as the shapes are in realityindividually heated. With furnaces of known types as used prior to thepresent invention, such uniformity of heating has only been possiblewhere the bars or other sections have been placed substantially flatwiseso as to travel through the furnace in substantially a given horizontalplane. Such an operasections while so placed. With a furnace constructedin accordance with the present invention, this uniformity of heating isobtainable 'with a much shorter furnace than that heretofore requiredinasmuch as a plurality of articles can be maintained and heated withinthe same unit of length as that heretofore required for an individualarticle placed flatwise. This in given capacityv having a shorter lengthand therefore lower cost than furnaces of the same capacity heretoforeprovided. It also results in a conservation of space and in a materialsaving in operating cost, both from a standpoint of fuel and astandpoint of labor, these savings all being effected while maintainingthe desired uniformity of heating.

It should furthermore be noted that the furnace conveyers are entirelyor at least principally within the chamber 7 so that no parts of thesame are appreciably cooled at any time during operation of the furnace,This not only results in economy but enables the furnace conveyers to bemaintained at the full temperature which it is desired to impart to thebars or other shapes. The conveyer 8 projects, if at all, but a slightamount into the furnace and the conveyer 39 extends, if at all, butslightly into the chamber '7. It is apparent, therefore, that almost, noheat is abstracted from the chamber 7 due to the travel of theconveyers. The adjustable mountings for the supports 20 permit theoperator to control the discharge of the metal sec-. tions from the endsof the conveyers, thereby making it possible to use these conveyers forvarious sizes and types of metal sections.

It is obvious that my invention provides an improved process for moreuniformly heating metal bars and sections, and that my improved furnacemakes it possible to heat metal sections with greater facility, and toheat a wide range of shapes and sizes of metal bars with uniform resultsin the heating of the same.

It will furthermore be apparent to those skilled in the art that manychanges in the construction, location and arrangement of the parts andin the manner of controlling the same may be, effected without change01' departure from'the inventive concept herein disclosed.

I claim:

1. A method of heating metal plates, sheet bars, or flat metal piecescomprising passing flat metal pieces or the like through a heatingchamber on'edge and reversing their positions one or more times duringtheir progress through the chamber.

2. A method of heating metal plates, sheet bars or flat metal piecescomprising passing flat metal pieces or the like through a heatingchamber on edge and turning the pieces bottomedge-up one or more timesduring their progress through the chamber.

3. A method of heating metal plates, sheet bars, or fiat metal pieces,comprising passing fiat metal pieces through a heating chamber on edgein spaced relation, and turning the pieces bottom-edge-up one or moretimes during their progress through the chamber.

4. The method of heating relatively thin metal sections comprisingsupporting the sections on edge, feeding the sections broad side whileso supported into a heating furnace, advancing the sections in thefurnace, and turning the sections bottom edge up before completing theirtravel through the heating furnace.

5. The method of charging relatively thin metal sections, such asplates, sheet bars and packs, comprising conveying the sections, inspaced relation on edge in a heating furnace, and transferring themwhile within the furnace to another conveyer. V

THOMAS J. COSTELLO.

